Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. Today, 1.8 million people live in it. In this article we will tell you in detail about the symbols of the Polish capital. You will find out who the Warsaw mermaid is, what is depicted on the coat of arms of Warsaw, what meaning lies in the colors of its official flag.
Warsaw: what do we know about her?
When Warsaw arose, it is not known for certain. Scientists suggest that this happened at the end of the 13th century. But the date when the city became the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is known - it is 1596. This event was preceded by a major fire that occurred at the Wawel Castle in Krakow. Then the Polish king Sigismund III decided to move his residence a little north. But the capital status of Warsaw was confirmed only in 1791.
Warsaw is located in the central-eastern part of the country, on the banks of the Vistula River. At the same time, the main Polish river divides the city almost in half. Modern Warsaw is an important economic, financial and cultural center of Eastern Europe. By the way, its share in the Polish economy is 15% of the country's total GDP.
Most linguists believe that the name of the city comes from the masculine name of Warsaw, popular in the Middle Ages. A folk legend explains the origin of this toponym as follows: there was a fisherman named Warsaw, and he decided to marry a mermaid, whose name was Sava. The combination of these two names gave the name to the city. By the way, we will also mention this very mermaid, talking about the coat of arms of Warsaw.
Warsaw: vibrant but fake
The Polish capital is a mixture of a wide variety of architectural styles. Lush palaces are combined here with modern high-rise buildings. Interesting fact: Warsaw ranks sixth in Europe in the total number of skyscrapers.
The historic center of Warsaw is lined with cute colorful houses. True, the age of these buildings does not exceed 50 years, despite their apparent “antiquity”. The fact is that Warsaw suffered very much during the Second World War. In the spring of 1945, the city in the literal sense of the word was a pile of stones and bricks.
For several decades, Warsaw rebuilt and rebuilt. In this case, pre-war drawings and drawings of old buildings were used. Many years later, the reconstructed capital was even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as the best example in the history of the world to restore the historical core of the city. Many tourists because of this call the center of Warsaw fake. But from this walk along its narrow cobbled streets do not become less pleasant and exciting.
Coat of arms of Warsaw: photo and description
Like any other European city, the Polish capital has its own official and unofficial symbols. The coat of arms of Warsaw was approved at the beginning of the XVII century. It is based on the classic French scarlet shield. It depicts a mermaid holding a round shield in her left hand, and a golden curved sword above her head. The hair and tail of the mermaid is also dyed in gold color.
On both sides, the heraldic shield is bordered with a silver ribbon with the inscription "Semper Invicta", which in Latin translates as "Always invincible." Below it is the Order of the Vistula with the following inscription: Virtuti Militari ("Military Valor"). The royal golden crown crowns the coat of arms above.
It is interesting to note that initially the mermaid on the Warsaw coat of arms was depicted with the body of a dragon and bird legs. But later, the final stamp was approved: a half-naked woman with a fish tail, a shield in her left hand and a sword in her right.
Warsaw siren
One of the most famous and recognizable symbols of the Polish capital is the so-called Warsaw Mermaid (or siren). It is she who adorns the city coat of arms since 1622. In Warsaw, her image can be found everywhere: on engravings, old seals, propaganda posters and monuments. So where did she come from? The answer lies in a beautiful and romantic legend.
Once upon a time, two mermaid friends sailed to the shores of the Baltic Sea. Here they parted - one sailed towards Denmark (now its sculpture adorns the entrance to the bay of Copenhagen), and the other - climbed up the Vistula. Once, a rich and greedy merchant, having heard the charming singing of a mermaid, grabbed her and put her in prison in one of the Warsaw towers. He wanted to show her for money at city fairs. But the mermaid was saved by a local fisherman. She was so grateful to him that she decided to devote herself entirely to protecting the city. Since then, the mermaid acquired a sword and took on a warlike appearance.
Today in Warsaw there are two sculptures of mermaids. One of them is installed on the Market Square, the second decorates the Vistula embankment.
City flag
The flag of Warsaw was officially approved in January 1938. It is a rectangular cloth of standard sizes, cut horizontally into two strips of equal thickness.
The upper strip of the flag is golden, the lower is red. This color scheme is interpreted as follows: gold is a symbol of royal splendor, wealth and splendor of the capital. Red is one of the colors of the Polish state flag. In addition, in this case, it is also a symbol of military prowess and heroism of the inhabitants of Warsaw.